Northern Star
by sentencefragments
Summary: Felicity and Oliver are having another baby. And this one desperately wants to celebrate Christmas outside of the womb.


**NORTHERN STAR**

_We will call this place our home,  
The dirt in which our roots may grow.  
Though the storms will push and pull,  
We will call this place our home._

_We'll tell our stories on these walls._  
_Every year, measure how tall._  
_And just like a work of art,_  
_We'll tell our stories on these walls._

_Let the years we're here be kind, be kind._  
_Let our hearts, like doors, open wide, open wide._  
_Settle our bones like wood over time, over time._  
_Give us bread, give us salt, give us wine.  
**'North' by Sleeping At Last**_

"Merry Christmas" Oliver murmured into her hair. An arm draped around her he pulled her back against his chest and nuzzled his nose against her cheek.

"I know it's been three years, but I'm still Jewish." Felicity chuckled, shifting in his embrace, threading her fingers with his. He hummed and pressed a trail of kisses down the nape of her neck.

It's was a beautiful sunny morning, the sun was just starting to rise, peeking through the curtains, dancing off of Felicity's blonde hair. They were lying in their bed, curled up under the covers.

"Minor detail." He whispered against her skin, his hot breath making a delicious shiver run down her spine.

"Besides, I think my beautiful wife deserves all the celebrations. Indulge me please" He kissed her shoulder and started playing with the ring on her finger. She smiled and, with some effort, managed to turn over so she could see his face. His hand fell to her side, the warmth burning right through her t-shirt. She bumped his nose with her own and pressed a kiss to his lips. Her hand found his cheek, thumb softly stroking through his scruff.

"Merry Christmas, Oliver." She whispered, kissing him again.

Three years. That's how long they had been married. Three short but wonderful years. Once they had gotten past the whole 'I-can't-be-with-you-because-it's-not-going-to-end-well thing, their relationship had taken off quite fast. He proposed to her on the last day of Hanukkah. Originally, he had planned to take her out for a nice dinner, then go home and light the menorah and then propose. He didn't make it halfway through dinner before he popped out the ring. Spoiler alert: She said yes.

Less than five months later, her last name was changed from Smoak to Queen.

Felicity jumped a little, quickly pulling away from Oliver's lips, and out of the reverie, opening her eyes to look at him. A smile grew on her face and a hand moved to her bulging stomach.

"He kicked again" She said, reaching for Oliver's hand, placing it where she had just felt the baby's feet kick the inside of her stomach. Oliver's expression softened as he felt his son stomp against his hand. He met Felicity's gaze and couldn't resist to kiss her again.

"How are you feeling? How are the contractions?" He asked, face serious.

She smiled and shook her head. "Still mild."

Oliver's face fell, his lips pressed together in a firm line. Felicity narrowed her eyes and placed a hand over his cheek.

"Don't worry, Oliver. Amelia was late too, remember? She's perfectly fine. These things take time. He'll come out when he's ready."

He nodded and smiled a little, his hand moving from her stomach to her lower back, thumb stroking in low circles as he kissed her.

"Speak of the cutest little devil." He said when they heard their daughter starting to fuss over the baby monitor.

"Go get her." Felicity said, playfully nudging him in the shoulder. He nodded and pushed himself off the bed. Glancing over his shoulder before he stepped out of their bedroom, he smiled, seeing Felicity gently rub her overly large stomach.

When he got to Amelia's room, the two-year-old was already trying to climb out of her crib. She was extremely well coordinated, especially for her age and had almost made it onto changing table that stood next to her crib. Maybe it was time to move her into a big-girl bed, so at least she couldn't fall down when she wanted to get out of bed. Oliver made his way across the room, grabbing the little girl around her waist and scooping her up into his arms. She squealed.

"Daddy!" Her little hands flew to his cheeks, patting excitedly.

"Good morning, pumpkin. Merry Christmas." He said, pressing a kiss onto her forehead.

"Mewwy Chwismas!" She imitated, making Oliver smile.

"You wanna go wake-up mommy so we can open our presents?" He asked. She nodded before smiling brightly, showing off a row of tiny little teeth.

"Mewwy Chwismas mommy!" She squealed when they walked into Oliver and Felicity's bedroom. Felicity was sitting up against the headboard, smiling brightly, extending her arms towards her daughter. Oliver put her down on the edge of the bed, letting her stumble along the rest of the way before she flung her arms around Felicity's neck.

"Merry Christmas, baby." Felicity said, kissing the top of Amelia's head. "Are you excited to open your presents?"

The little girl pulled out of the embrace and nodded. Oliver had retrieved the bag of gifts they had put together. It contained mostly small gifts, and a few larger ones for Amelia, but nothing like the motorcycle Felicity had designed for Oliver a few years ago and definitely nothing as large as the house, that they were living in now, that Oliver had gotten Felicity as a thank you the following year. They both were extravagant gift givers but with Felicity mostly bedbound these days, the pregnancy taking its toll on her energy level, they had decided to celebrate Christmas and Hanukkah small this year. But it was no less intimate and fun. Amelia was delighted with the stuffed panda-bear she got, and intrigued immensely by the sparkly locket Santa had given her. It contained a small picture of her parents that would soon be joined by a picture of her and her new baby brother.

Felicity got Oliver mostly joking gifts, like a new diaper bag, and some other stuff that they would need for the baby. The watch she got him was the only thing that really stood out. Oliver had told her about his father's watch. How he had kept it safe on the island and then lost it. Looking through countless of pictures of Robert Queen, Felicity managed to find the exact make and model. Oliver thanked 'Santa' with tears in his eyes.

Oliver managed to pleasantly surprise his wife too. He got her the Cartier love bracelet in shining gold, their wedding date engraved on the inside. Felicity immediately begged him to put it on her. He took her wrist and tightened the screws around it with the little screwdriver that came with it. She kissed him, both hands cupping his cheeks, thumbs caressing his cheekbones.

They must have been lingering in their exchange for too long, because Amelia started pulling at sleeves, begging for attention. Felicity chuckled and proposed to watch Bambi, one of Amelia's favorite movies. With some hot cocoa and cookies they settled on the bed, Amelia tucked in between Oliver and Felicity. They skipped Bambi's mother dying.

The movie was nearing its end when Felicity winced, her face scrunching up as a hand flew to her stomach.

"Oliver. Don't panic, but you need to call Thea. He's ready."

Oliver raised his eyebrows, scooping Amelia into his lap. "Really? Now?"

Felicity nodded and let out a breathy laugh before swallowing hard. "Yeah. Now. He has his father's timing, alright."

Oliver took a deep breath and nodded, already getting off the bed. Amelia whined at him for leaving, her little hands reaching for him.

"Alright. I'm on it. I'll be right back. You need anything? Heating pads? A hot cup of tea? massage maybe?" His voice sounded panicky, his fingers already rubbing together because of that little nervous tick he had.

"Oliver. Just call your sister and then get Amelia dressed. We have time."

He nodded again, his eyes wide, mouth hanging slightly open. "Okay."

And then he was gone, out of the room to call Thea and ask her to come pick up Amelia so he could take Felicity to the hospital when needed.

Amelia made a small noise, head whipping around in confusion. Felicity ran a hand over her daughter's head and pulled her against her side. She pressed a kiss to Amelia's forehead, the little girl looking up at her with wonder in her bright blue eyes.

"Your baby brother is on his way, Amelia. Daddy and I are going to go get him and Auntie Thea is going to look after you for a little while, is that okay?"

Amelia's face lit up when she recognized Thea's name, hands excitedly patting Felicity's arm. Felicity smiled at her daughter, looking up when Oliver walked back into the room. He nodded at her, Thea was on her way and sat down on the edge of the bed, carefully prying Amelia out of her arms.

"Come on, pumpkin, we're gonna put you in some clothes before Aunt Thea comes over, alright."

The two-year old squealed and nearly leapt into his arms. Before he stood back up, he reached for Felicity's hand, squeezing it softly. They smiled at each other for a second. Felicity took a deep breath and nodded at him. Everything was okay, she could handle a few minutes without him.

Little over two hours later, at almost ten in the morning, a disheveled Thea stood in their living room. She had clearly rushed out of her loft (on Christmas Morning, for crying out loud) to get there as fast as possible. Amelia was peacefully playing in her playpen, humming to herself. Oliver walked in with two cups of coffee, handing one to his sister. She gratefully accepted and took a large swig.

"How is she doing?" Thea asked.

"Well. We called the doctor, and there's no doubt that she's in labor. We need to wait until her contractions regulate before going to the hospital but it's just a matter of time now." He said, running a hand over his face.

The bags under his eyes were the evidence of his lack of sleep. When Felicity had started experiencing some contractions the night before Oliver hadn't been able to fall asleep. If it was excitement or nerves, he couldn't tell, but he wanted to make sure that it was really happening this time. Felicity had been in false labor a couple of times, when she was pregnant with Amelia too. Back then, the inexperienced parents they were, had rushed to the hospital only to be sent back home up to three times. This time around, they had been much more patient and had known the signs to look for.

"Well, good. At least I didn't get called out of bed for nothing again." Yes, they had called Thea with the news more times than they should have.

Oliver smiled softly. "Thank you, Thea."

Thea shook her head. "It's nothing, Ollie, Really. I get to spend some time with my niece while you are getting me a nephew. What's not to like?"

A low chuckle escaped from his lips and he shook his head.

"Now, you go upstairs, be a good husband and take care of your wife, I've got it down here." Thea swatted him in the chest and smirked.

With a quick kiss pressed to his sister's cheek, Oliver nearly ran upstairs to make his wife feel as comfortable as possible. He sat behind her most of the time, her back to his chest, his hands rubbing slow circles against her lower back to ease the pain while they watched some TV or she read a book. He held her hand through each contraction, breathing with her and whispering encouraging words in her ear.

It took another four hours for her contractions to regulate. They were longer, more painful and only 16 minutes apart. Time to go to the hospital. Oliver helped Felicity get somewhat dressed, meaning pajama's, uggs and her coat. He packed a last few things into her hospital bag and then guided her down the stairs (she couldn't see her own feet) and into the car.

The drive to the hospital took longer than expected. They got into a massive traffic-jam, making Oliver curse in frustration. The only thing he could do was offer Felicity his hand as her contractions grew stronger and closer together. When they finally arrived they were immediately taking into a room. A nurse helped Felicity get into a hospital gown and onto the bed. They did some tests, to see how the baby was doing, asked about her pain level, a solid six and hooked her up to an IV.

"So, Felicity, were you planning on getting an epidural?" Doctor Elliot asked.

Felicity nodded. "Yeah. I won't be making that mistake again."

Oliver sighed in relief. They had argued about the epidural several times, but it always came down to him hating seeing her in pain like that when she shouldn't have to. She started to squeeze his hand to reassure him but another contraction hit her and she ended up nearly crushing his hand.

The anesthesiologist had prepped her epidural a short ten minutes later. He had her sit up, legs tossed to one side of the bed. She held Oliver's hands, their foreheads pressed together.

"Now, you'll just feel some pressure in one or both legs. That's completely normal."

"Ugh, I hate needles." Felicity muttered, wincing when she felt the needle puncture her skin at her lower back.

"I am so proud of you already." Oliver whispered against her skin, pressing his lips to her forehead.

Felicity took a deep breath before crying out in pain again. Oliver frowned, hating the fact that she had to go through all of this. Felicity leaned back on the bed, already drenched in sweat, stray strands of hair escaping from her ponytail. She was breathing heavily, the drugs slowly kicking in.

"Have you called my mom?" She asked quietly.

Oliver smiled softly and nodded. "Yeah. Of course." He said, thumb stroking the back of her hand.

Doctor Elliot walked back into the room, a nurse in tow, and clipboard in her hands.

"This is quite an impressive birth plan you have here, Felicity." She said, a small smile tugging at her lips.

"Keeps you busy." Felicity said, running a hand over her sweaty forehead. Oliver reached for the cloth a nurse had provided him with, drenching it in cold water and pressing it against her forehead, cheeks and down her neck. Felicity sighed in relief, mouthing a thank you. He leaned down and kissed her cheek.

"Well, let's see how far you're dilated." Doctor Elliot said, positioning herself at the foot of the bed. Oliver watch her face fall and he frowned.

"Is something wrong?" He asked, mild concern on his face.

Doctor Elliot swallowed. "There is no easy way to say this, but you are ten centimeters dilated but the baby isn't coming. We need to prep you for an emergency C-section."

Felicity shook her head in disbelief. "No, I can do this. I…I have my birth plan."

"Felicity." Oliver whispered, moving into her line of sight, forcing her to look at him.

"It's gonna be okay. I won't let anything happen to you. Do you trust me?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Always."

Before he knew it, he was standing in the OR, holding Felicity's hand just like he had nearly every second they had been in the hospital, and at home, too. He was wearing scrubs, softly stroking Felicity's hair through the thin blue hair cap she was wearing. She was hooked up to oxygen and morphine, staring up at the ceiling, her eyes glazing over.

"I love morphine." She giggled, turning her head to look at him.

He smiled and reached out to touch her cheek. It didn't feel right, his latex covered fingers against her soft skin, but it was all they had right now.

"You're doing great, Felicity. You're fine." He whispered reassuringly.

And then they heard the crying. A single tear slipped from Felicity's eye. Oliver smiled and kissed her temple.

"Here he is." Doctor Elliot said, holding up a squirming little baby so Felicity could see her son. A sigh of relief escaped from her lips.

"Congratulations, Dad." Felicity laughed, smiling brightly through her tears.

Oliver touched his forehead to hers. "Congratulations. I love you."

"I love you too, Oliver. So much." She whispered.

He kissed her briefly before someone tugged at his shoulder and presented him his son. Oliver welcomed the weight into his arms and held him up for Felicity to see.

"He is absolutely perfect, Felicity."

Felicity smiled and reached out a hand to touch her son's tiny one.

"Our little Christmas miracle." She whispered before letting her head roll back and her hand fall back down. She looked peaceful, like she was falling asleep, but everything inside of him was screaming that something was wrong.

"Felicity?" He called out, touching her cheek. She felt awfully cold. The baby in his arms started crying as various beeping noises started to go off.

"No, no, no, no, no, no." He muttered as his son got pulled out of his grasp and he was ushered outside before he could even process what was happening.

"Mr. Queen we need you to wait out here for a moment." A nurse said before hurrying back inside.

It took him a while to collect himself after that. His wife and son were behind doors he wasn't allowed to step through and he didn't know what was happening to them. If they were okay, if something bad had happened. He slumped into one of the seat of the little bench pushed against the wall of the hallway. Hiding his face in his hands he groaned loudly. He yanked off the latex gloves and reached for his phone, dialing Diggle's number. He picked up after one ring.

"John. Can you please come to the hospital? It's Felicity." Was all he said, and it was all that needed to be said.

He didn't know how long it took for Dig to get there, the hand on his shoulder made him jump. He hadn't been this out of touch with his surroundings since, well, before he went on the Gambit. Diggle sat down in the seat next to him as he was rubbing his hands together, nervously playing with his wedding ring.

"We have a son. But Felicity lost a lot of blood in there…" He jerked his head towards the double doors that lead to the OR. "…So, uhm, they made me wait out here."

Diggle didn't say anything, for which he was glad, just padded his shoulder.

"I don't know what's going on inside, because… because they made me wait out here." His voice broke and he hid his face in his hands again, sighing loudly.

"She's going to be okay, Oliver. If I have learned one thing about Felicity over the years it's that she's tougher than she looks."

A small smile tugged at Oliver's lips. "Yeah. She is."

He met Diggle's gaze, and he was starting to calm down a little when the doors he wasn't allowed through open and a nurse stepped through

"Mr. Queen. She's awake." She said, smiling softly.

A sigh of relief escaped from his lips. He looked back at Diggle who patted him on the back and jerked his head in the direction of the doors.

"Go." He said.

Oliver got up and made his way to the doors, only to turn around just before stepping into the OR.

"Call Thea please?" He asked.

Diggle nodded and Oliver stepped inside. He smiled when he saw Felicity. All of the machines and tubes and stuff were removed, her bed put up a bit so she could sit up a little. Her hair cap and oxygen were gone and she was holding their son, cooing at the little boy.

"Felicity." He gasped, making his way towards her in three long strides. She saw him just before he reached her, her face lighting up, hand reaching out. He peppered her face with kisses, saving her lips for last.

"God, Felicity, I was so worried. For a moment there, I thought I'd lost you."

Felicity smiled softly and cupped his cheek, thumb stroking his cheekbone.

"You know me better than that. Besides, what's a birth story without some angst to make it good, right?"

Oliver sighed and shook his head. At least she was making jokes again, he would take everything that he could get right now.

"You don't ever do that again, alright?" He said sternly, taking hold of her wrist.

"I promise."

The baby in her arms made a noise, pulling the attention to him.

"He is so beautiful. Can you believe we made that?" Felicity whispered, lifting her son towards her face and kissing him softly. Oliver's hand ran through her hair and he was unable to wipe the smile off of his face.

They moved her and the baby back to her room pretty quickly after that, encountering Diggle in the hallway.

"Congratulations." He said, smiling as he squeezed Felicity's hand.

"I'll see you guys later, I'm gonna wait for Thea and Amelia downstairs." He reached over the bed to shake Oliver's hand and then they were moving again.

"What about Johnathan?" She asked when they were settled back into her room.

"It's Hebrew, originally, means 'Gift of God'. And also a little thank you to Dig."

"Johnathan." Oliver let the name glide over his tongue like a fine wine.

"I like it." He said, sitting down on the edge of her bed, reaching out to take his son's tiny little hand in his own.

"How about Johnathan Thomas Noel Queen." He smiled down at the baby boy, caressing his cheek with his thumb

"Why the Noel?" She asked, eyebrow quirking upwards.

"He was born on Christmas Day." Oliver smiled brighter, if that was even possible.

Felicity chuckled and shook her head a little. "I love it."

She leaned in and pressed a kiss to Oliver's lips, lingering for as long as she could, interrupted by two short knocks on the door. Amelia was the first to step inside, hand clutched in Thea's, who urged her forward. Diggle closed the door behind them, smiling at both Oliver and Felicity as Thea made squealing noise and walked with Amelia towards Felicity's bed.

"Hi baby." Felicity cooed at her daughter. Thea lifted the toddler up on the bed. Oliver reached out to tickle her a little, making her giggle.

"Oh he is so precious." Thea sighed, peeking into the little bundle squirming in Felicity's arms.

Felicity took Thea's hand and squeezed it softly, smiling lovingly at her sister-in-law.

"Amelia, you wanna meet your little brother?" she asked, shifting the baby in her hold so she could look at him. Amelia's tiny little hand moved to Johnathan's head, softly caressing the little hairs on his head. Felicity and Thea cooed at the adorable sight.

"We want you to meet Johnathan Thomas Noel Queen." Oliver said, nodding towards Dig, who was standing at the foot of the bed, admiring the little boy from a distance.

"Love the name." Thea said smiling, walking around the bed hug Oliver.

"Congrats, Ollie."

"Thanks, sis."

Diggle took Amelia and Thea home around eleven at night. It had already been way past Amelia's bedtime when the baby was born, so a little extra late didn't really matter, but when the girl had started yawning every five minutes and had turned extra cranky, Felicity had basically ordered them to go get some sleep.

Oliver had slipped into bed next to Felicity, his arm curled around her shoulders, her head resting against his own as they looked down on their sleeping son.

"Thank you." Oliver whispered.

"For what?" She asked.

Oliver took a deep breath and smiled softly at her. "For trusting me even though you had no reason to, because I was obviously lying to you about that laptop riddled with bullet-holes. For believing in me when nobody else did. For showing me that there's another way. For pushing me to be the best version of myself. For making me stop dangling maybes. For making me honest with myself. For allowing me to love you in every way. For agreeing to being my wife. For letting me spend the rest of my days with you by my side. For gifting me with two beautiful kids. For making me a hero. For being my guiding light in the darkness. For being you."

Big fat happy tears spilled across Felicity's cheeks. She pressed her forehead against his.

"I love you so much, Oliver. But don't ever think that you haven't given as much to me. You've given me a purpose in life, something better than spending my days wondering what could have been in that tiny cubicle. But more importantly, you've given me a family. Yeah, sure, I had my mom, but with you and Dig, the three of us. That was my family, and the foundry was my new home. And now we're here, and I'm crying my eyes out because I'm so happy and I love you so much and we have another family…."

He didn't let her finish, pressing his lips to her with all the fire and love and passion he had. He felt the burning in his bones, the heat curling his toes, the love for her growing with each day they spent together. He wrapped her and Johnathan in an all-enveloping hug, and she snuggled against his chest, perfectly fitting like a puzzle piece.

"I'm so glad I walked into your office that day."


End file.
